PhRMA elects Pfizer, Merck execs to senior roles

PhRMA elected three new senior members during the trade group’s annual meeting on Friday.

Ian C. Read, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, was named chairman of the powerful association, while the head of Merck & Co., Kenneth C. Frazier became chairman-elect of the board of directors.

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The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) also elected George A. Scangos, the chief executive of biotech company Biogen Idec, as the treasurer of its board of directors.

“At a time when collaborative medical science and healthcare delivery in the U.S. and around the world are rapidly evolving, we are fortunate to have Ian Read as chairman,” said PhRMA’s chief, John Castellani, in a statement. “His vision for the future of our healthcare system will help guide PhRMA as we embark on the many challenges and opportunities ahead.”

He replaces Robert J. Hugin, the head of the Celgene Corporation, as the organization’s chairman.

Castellani said that Hugin’s service “greatly enhanced our advocacy for forward-looking policies that promote innovation and provide patient access to new medicines.”

“Bob Hugin is a true champion of the value that innovative medicines deliver to patients, public health and our economy,” he adds.

Reid says he is up to the task of helping the association help the pharmaceutical industry “enter another golden era of innovation, transforming the way we do research and development.”

“We are judged, ultimately, by our actions and we must work hard to earn the trust and respect of our regulators, legislators, healthcare professionals, R&D partners and most importantly the patients who depend on us, now and into the future,” he said in a release.

PhRMA spent more than $17.7 million on lobbying the federal government last year, according to disclosure records.